Architecture school teaches farmers

(Left to Right) Fifth year architecture student Carol Santana, TA Ralph Provisero, Professor Jim Adamson and Professor Rocco Ceo work together to repurpose a mobile home into a working kitchen on Wedneseday, February 16. Adrianne D'Angelo//Photo Editor
(Left to Right) Fifth year architecture student Carol Santana, TA Ralph Provisero, Professor Jim Adamson and Professor Rocco Ceo work together to repurpose a mobile home into a working kitchen on Wedneseday, February 16. Adrianne D'Angelo//Photo Editor

The School of Architecture has recently been repurposing a mobile home into a permaculture kitchen. The project is being constructed for Earth Learning, a non-profit organization that promotes ecological awareness.
Permaculture is a design approach that aims to create sustainable, productive systems that harmoniously integrate with the land.
“The project is built off an existing chassis of a mobile home and most of the original was demolished and salvaged or recycled,” said Rocco Ceo, the professor managing the construction.
Earth Learning plans to use the trailer to teach farmers about permaculture and to can excess foods after harvest in an effort to promote conservation; the kitchen will also demonstrate the healthiest ways to prepare organic foods.
The architecture students designed the trailer last semester and are now constructing the final design, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of February or mid-March.
The trailer has been a learning experience for the students who have had the opportunity to see their work completed from sketch to reality.
“It was literally as realistic as one could be,” said David Chessrown, a School of Architecture fall graduate who worked on the project. “In usual architectural design studios you are kind of designing in your imagination, but physically putting pen to paper to make something that became physical was definitely the coolest thing I took away from it.”

Alanna Zunski may be contacted at azunski@themiamihurricane.com